This document provides an overview of the history and objectives of plant breeding. It discusses the evolution of plant breeding from pre-Mendelian times up until modern biotechnology approaches. The key objectives of plant breeding are to increase yield, improve quality, develop biotic and abiotic stress resistance, and modify other agronomic traits. The history is divided into four eras: pre-Mendelian (before 1900), Mendelian (1900-1920), post-Mendelian (1921-1950), and modern (after 1950). Important developments and figures in each era are highlighted.

1. AIMS/OBJECTIVES
AND HISTORY OF
PLANT BREEDING
Presented by:-
Vikas Kumar
2nd year Student of B.Sc.(Agriculture)
Gochar Mahavidyalya
Rampur Maniharan, Saharanpur (UP)

2. Definition
“Plant breeding can be defined as an art, a science, and
technology of improving the genetic make up of plants in relation to
their economic use for the man kind.”
“Plant breeding is the art and science of improving the
heredity of plants for the benefit of mankind.”
“Plant breeding deals with the genetic improvement of crop
plants also known as science of crop improvement.”
* Plant Breeding is a science and art both.

3. Objectives of Plant Breeding
1. Higher Yield:- The ultimate aim of plant breeding is to
improve the yield of economic produce. It may be grain yield,
fodder yield, fibre yield, tuber yield, cane yield or oil yield
depending upon the crop species.
2. Improve Quality:- Quality of produce is another important
objective in plant breeding. The quality characters vary from
crops. Eg. grain size, colour, milling and backing quality in
wheat. Cooking quality in rice, malting quality in barley, size,
colour and size of fruits, nutritive and keeping quality in
vegetables, protein content in pulses, oil content in oilseeds,
fibre length, strength and fineness in cotton.

4. 3. Change in maturity Duration:- Earliness is the most desirable
character which has several advantages. It requires less crop
management period, less insecticidal sprays, permits new crop
rotations and often extends the crop area. Development of wheat
varieties suitable for late planting has permitted rice-wheat rotation.
4. Biotic Resistance(Insect-Pest Resistance):- Crop plants are
attacked by various diseases and insects, resulting in considerable
yield losses. Genetic resistance is the cheapest and the best method
of minimizing such losses. Resistant varieties are developed through
the use of resistant donor parents available in the gene pool.
5. Abiotic Resistance:- Crop plants also suffer from abiotic factors
such as drought, soil salinity, extreme temperatures, heat, wind,
cold and frost, breeder has to develop resistant varieties for such
environmental conditions. plants.

5. 6. Elimination of Toxic Substances:- It is essential to develop
varieties free from toxic compounds in some crops to make them
safe for human consumption. For example, removal of neurotoxin
in Khesari.
7. Synchronous Maturity:- It refers to maturity of a crop
species at one time. The character is highly desirable in crops like
Greengram, Cowpea, and Cotton where several pickings are
required for crop harvest.
8. Non-shattering Characters:- The shattering of pods is
serious problem in green gram. Hence resistance to shattering is
an important objective in green gram.

6. 9. Varieties for New Seasons:- Varieties for New Seasons:
Traditionally Maize is a kharif crop. But scientists are now
able to grow Maize as rabi and zaid crops. Similarly, mung
is grown as a summer crop in addition to the main kharif
crop.
10. Water Adaptability:- Adaptability is an important
objective in plant breeding because it helps in stabilizing
the crop production over regions and seasons.
11. Photo and Temperature Sensitivity:- Photo and
Thermo insensitivity: Development of varieties insensitive
to light and temperature helps in crossing the cultivation
boundaries of crop

7. HISTORY OF PLANT BREEDING
In broad sense history of Plant Breeding can be divided into
four parts:-
1. Pre Mendelian Era:- Before 1900
2. Mendelian Era:- 1900 to 1920
3. Post Mendelian Era:- 1921 to 1950
4. Modern Era:- After 1950.

8. 1. Pre Mendelian Era:-
9000 B.C. First evidence of plant domestication in the hills above the
Tigris river.
3000 B.C. Domestication of all important food crops in the Old World.
1000 B.C. Domestication of all important food crops in the New World.
700 B.C Babylonians and Assyrians hand pollinated date palm artificially.
1665: Robert Hooke (England) First described the cell and known as
Father of cell biology.
1694: Camerarius of Germany first to demonstrate sex in plants and
suggested crossing as a method to obtain new plants.
1717: Thomas Fairchild developed first Inter specific hybrid between
Sweet William and carnation Species popularly known as ‘Fairchild’s
Mule’
1727: The first plant breeding company was established in Germany by
Vilmorins.

9. 1753: Caralous Linnaeus published his book ‘Species planetarium’ including
binomial nomenclature of plant taxonomy.
1766: Joseph Koelreuter (Germany) demonstrated that hybrid progeny gets
traits from its both parents and he produced scientific hybrid of tobacco.
1800-35: Knight T.A. first used the Artificial Hybridization in Fruit crops.
1819: Shirreff utilized pure line selection to develop new oat cultivar.
1840: John Le Couter developed the concept of progeny test and individual
plamnt selection in cereals.
1856: De vilmorin ( French) further elaborated the concept of progeny test
and used in sugarbeet.
1859-1889: Darwin published ‘Origin of Species’.
1866: G.J. Mendel (Austria) published his discoveries in ‘Experiments in
Plant Hybridization’ and given the laws of inheritance in garden Pea.
1890: Rimapau (Sweden) firstly made inheritance cross between Triticum
aestivum and Secale cereale, producing Triticale.

10. 2. Mendelian Era:-
1900: De Varies (Holland), Correns (Germany), Tschermark (Austria)
rediscovered Mendel’s law of inheritance independently.
1900: Nilson (Swedish) Introduced individual plant selection method in
Sweden.
1903: Johanson proposed the pureline theory and also coined the terms
Genotype, Phenotype and Pureline.
1908: C.B. Devenport firstly proposed dominance hypothesis of heterosis.
1908: G.H. Shull, E.M. East proposed over dominance hypothesis in Maize.
1909: Nilson Ehle given the explanation of multiple factors hypothesis for grain
color by using Pedigree and Bulk breeding.
1914: G.H. Shull firstly used the term heterosis for Hybrid Vigour.
1917: Jones developed first hybrid maize and proposed dominance of linked
gene hypothesis.
1919: Hays, H.K. Garber , R.J. gave initial idea about recurrent selection. They
first suggested use of synthetic varieties for commercial cultivation in maize.

11. 3. Post Mendelian Era:-
1923: Sax proposed linkage between quantitative and qualitative traits.
1926: E.M. East and A.J. Mangelsdorf firstly discovered gametophytic
incompatibility in Nicotiana sanderae.
1926: N.I. Vavilov identified 8 main centers and 3 sub centers of crop
diversity.
1927: Muller produced mutation in flies using X-rays.
1927: Karpencheko developed first intergeneric hybrid between Radish
and Cabbage in Russia.
1928: L.J. Studler firstly used X-rays for induce mutation in Barley.
1933: Rhoades discovered Cytoplasmic male Sterility (CMS) in maize.
1934: Dustin discovered colchicine.
1935: Vavilov published the scientific basis of plant breeding.
1935: Nagahem proposed the origin of tetraploid species of brassica using
triangle.

12. 1939: C.H. Goulden firstly suggested the use of single seed descent
method.
1940: M.T. Jenkins described the method of Recurrent selection.
1944: Avery, MacLeod and McCarty described the transforming
principle and suggested that DNA , is not a protein, is the
hereditary material.
1945: F.H. Hull coined the terms of recurrent selection and over-
dominance in the maize.
1950: Hughes and Babcock firstly discovered sporophytic self
incompatibility in Crepis foetida.

13. 4. Modern era:-
1952: N.F. Jensen firstly suggested use of multilines in oat.
1953: N.E. Borlaug firstly used the method of multilines in Wheat.
1953: Watson, Crick and Wikins proposed a model for Double helical
structure of DNA.
1956: Flor proposed gene for gene hypothesis.
1964: N.E. Borlaug developed high yielding semi dwarf varities of Wheat.
1965: J.E. Graphius firstly applied Single Seed Descent (SSD) method in oats.
1968: Donald developed the concept of crop ideotype in Wheat.
1970: C.T. Patel (INDIA) developed world’s first hybrid cotton for commercial
cultivation in India.
1970: N.E. Borlaug received the Nobel prize for the green revolution.
1970: Berg, Cohen and Boyer introduced the Recombinant DNA technology.
1976: Yuan Long Ping et al. (China) developed world’s first hybrid rice V for
commercial cultivation in China.

14. 1983: Fraley et al. developed the first transgenic (Genetically Engineered) tobacco in
USA.
1987: Monsanto developed world’s first transgenic cotton plant in USA.
1991: ICRISAT developed world’s first pigeon pea hybrid (ICPH 8) (GMS based) for
commercial cultivation in India.
1994: FlavrSavr tomato developed as first genetically modified food by Calgene
Company of California.
1995: Bt. corn developed
1996: Glyphosate resistant crop Soyabean introduced.
1997: Monsanto (USA) firstly developed terminator gene (It allows germination of
seed for one generation only).
1998: Monsanto identified traitor gene which responds to specific brands of
fertilizers and insecticides.
2002: Mahyco-Monsanto: released three Bt. Hybrids (MECH12, MECH16, MECH184)
2005: Govt. of India approved cultivation of some Bt. Cotton hybrids in Punjab,
Haryana and Rajasthan.

15. History of plant breeding in India
1871: The Government of India created the Department of Agriculture.
1905: The Imperial Agricultural Research Institute was establish in Pusa,
Bihar.
1934: The buildings of the institute damaged in earthquake
1936: Shifted to New Delhi.
1946: Name was changed Indian Agricultural Research Institute.
1901-05: Agricultural Colleges were established at Kanpur, Pune,
Sabour, Lalyalpur, Coimbatore.
1929: Imperial council of Agricultural Research was established.
1946: Name was change to Indian Council Agricultural Research.
1921: Indian Central Cotton Committee was established.

16. Notable researches on breeding and cultivation of cotton. Eg : 70
improved varieties of cotton.
1956: Project for intensification of regional research on cotton, oilseeds
and millets (PIRRCOM) was initiated to intensify research on these
crops – located at 17 different centres through out the country.
1957: All India Coordinated maize improvement project was started with
objective of exploiting heterosis.
The first hybrid maize varieties released by the project ICAR initiated
coordinated projects for improvement of the other crops.
1960: First Agricultural University established at Pantnagar, Nainital,
U.P.

17. Some Indian Plant Breeders
 T.S. Venkatraman - An eminent sugarcane breeder, he transferred thick stem and
high sugar contents from tropical noble cane to North Indian Canes. This process is
known as nobleization of sugarcane.
 B.P. Pal - An eminent Wheat breeder, developed superior disease resistant N.P.
varieties of wheat.
 M.S. Swaminathan - Responsible for green revolution in India, developed high
yielding varieties of Wheat and Rice.
 Pushkarnath - Famous potato breeder.
 N.G.P. Rao - An eminent sorghum breeder.
 Ram Dhan Singh - Famous wheat breeder.
 D.S. Athwal - Famous pearlmillet breeder.
 Bosisen - An eminent maize breeder.
 Dharampal Singh - An eminent oil-seed breeder.
 C.T. Patel - Famous cotton breeder who developed world’s first cotton hybrid in
1970.
 V. Santhanam - Famous cotton breeder.